Black Death: Mixed Climbing Testpiece

Robert Jasper and Wolfram Liebich established The Black Death at Kandersteg in Switzerland in mid-December, on their second attempt. The 250-meter, six-pitch route is a masterpiece of delicate climbing on thin, poorly protected, loose rock and ice (WI 7 M8 E5). (Jasper gave it an E5 on his 6-level scale of ice- and mixed-climbing seriousness.) This is a great look at "true" mixed climbing. (Route details from PlanetMountain.com.)